FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU men's tennis team is set to kick off the 2020 season with a match against USF this Saturday, Jan. 11 at the FGCU Tennis Complex. The competition against the Bulls is slated for a 5 p.m. start time and will feature a pair of teams that competed in last season's NCAA Tournament, as both the Eagles and the Bulls clinched berths by winning their respective conferences.
FGCU (0-0) will be looking to continue its regular-season winning streak from last season, which left off at seven matches. The Bulls (0-0) own a 4-0 all-time edge over the Green and Blue, which includes the 5-2 victory they earned on their home courts in Tampa last season.
The Eagles, who captured both the 2019 ASUN Regular Season and Tournament titles,
topped the conference's preseason coaches' poll, receiving five first-place votes. Three-time ASUN Coach of the Year
CJ Weber returns four of his regular starters from last year, including First Team All-ASUN selection
Juan Montes (Pereira, Colombia/Colegio Lujan) and Second Team All-ASUN honoree
Felipe Ramirez (Armenia, Colombia/Florida Virtual School).
In addition to the excitement that comes with opening up the season, Eagle fans will also have a chance to see newcomers
Carter Bradford (Wesley Chapel, FL/George Mason),
Juan Lopez (Gachancipa, Colombia/Colegio Virtual Siglo XXI) and
Guglielmo Stefanacci (Prato, Italy/International School of Florence) in action. While the three participated in the team's fall tournament slate, Saturday's match will mark the trio's first time competing at the Nest.
USF returns just two of its regular starters from a season ago in seniors Pierre Luquet and Jakub Wojcik. The duo was part of a Bulls team that went 18-8 during its 2018-19 campaign and notched a 4-1 mark in conference play. USF defeated No. 28 UCF to capture the 2019 American Athletic Conference Championship, the fifth title in program history. After downing Alabama 4-3 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, the team fell by a score of 4-1 to Texas, the eventual national champion.
Prior to Saturday's contest, FGCU will host ASA Miami for an exhibition match at the FGCU Tennis Complex on Friday, Jan. 10. Match play will begin at 5 p.m. and admission is free for fans interested in attending.
For complete coverage of FGCU men's tennis, follow the Eagles on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @FGCU_MTen and online at www.FGCUAthletics.com .
CJ WEBER
FGCU is led by three-time ASUN Coach of the Year CJ Weber,
who has coached 32 ASUN All-Conference selections since joining the Green and Blue in 2011. In his seventh year, Weber has compiled a 93-77 (.547) overall record and a 38-18 (.672) record in ASUN play. In 2014-15, Weber guided the Eagles to their first-ever ASUN Championship and first-ever ASUN Regular Season title after a program-best 17 wins. In his third season, Weber led Jordi Vives to a No. 35 national ranking, a nation-leading 14-match unbeaten streak and the round of 32 in the 2014 NCAA Tournament - the program's first appearance. The Eagles completed a perfect ASUN regular season in both 2015 and 2016, finishing with conference titles as well as a Coach of the Year honor for Weber. FGCU again won the 2017 ASUN Championship and made its second NCAA appearance. The Eagles returned to the mountaintop by claiming the 2019 regular season and tournament championships. Weber earned his third ASUN Coach of the Year honor and led the Green and Blue to their third trip to the NCAA Tournament.
#FEEDFGCU
FGCU Athletics sponsors events in November and April to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics' charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.
ABOUT FGCU
FGCU teams have combined to win an incredible 80 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 12 seasons at the Division-I level. Additionally, in just eight seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 36 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. Seven FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport – including both men's and women's soccer again in 2018. In 2016-17, the Green and Blue posted a department-best sixth-place finish in the DI-AAA Learfield Directors' Cup and top-100 showing nationally, ahead of several Power-5 and FBS institutions. In 2018-19, the Eagles had an ASUN and state of Florida best seven teams earn the NCAA's Public Recognition Award for their Academic Progress Rate in their sport. FGCU also collectively earned a record 3.35 GPA in the classroom in the spring 2018 semester and has outperformed the general University undergraduate population for twenty consecutive semesters. The Eagles also served an all-time high 7,200 volunteer hours in 2017 – being recognized as one of two runners-up for the inaugural NACDA Community Service Award presented by the Fiesta Bowl.
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